Electrical connecter



Feb. 7, 1933. c. GOUGH 1,896,948

I ELECTRICAL CONNECTER Filed Nov. 20, 1930 Patented Feb. 7, 1933 um'rsosrA'rss cams GOUGH, or ALBION, ILLINOIS ELECTRICAL CONNEGTEB Application filed November 20, 1930. Serial No. 497,029.

This invention relates to an electrical connecter plug.

Its main object is the production of a simplified'construction such as to provide for the expeditious insertion of the line terminals into the enclosinginsulating casing and for the expeditious removal of said terminals for repairs, replacement, or other purposes; also to provide for such insertion, removal, or replacement of the terminals without the use of a tool. 1

A further object is to provide a line terminal of such construction that the end of a line conductor may be attached or fastened thereto in a simple and effective way and without the use of a tool.

Still other objects realized by the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description in connection With the accompanyin drawing which illustrates what is regarde ment of said invention. 1 E o In said drawing a a y Y v Fig. 1 is a view in longitudinal section of a connecter plug constructed according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar view, the closure member or screw plug and terminals being shown detached and separated from the main body portion;

Fig. 3 is atop-end view of the body portion' Figs. 4 and 5 are longitudinal sections on lines 44 and 55 (Fig. 1) respectively;

Fig. 6 is a detail of a line terminal showing the members thereof spread apart;

Fig. 7 is a bottomend view of the plug body; and 1 Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing a modified construction.

The main body portion or member 10 of the connecter plug is formed preferably of one piece of suitable insulating material as the preferred embodi.-. I g

. cord which contains conductors 19, 19. The l roughened peripheral surface of head 18 is electric flat iron.

The chambers or spaces 11, 12 at their upper ends lead into a common chamber comprising a circular middle portion 15, interiorly screw-threaded as shown, and two diametrically opposite extensions 16 which are in line'with and constitute continuations of chambers 11, 12 respectively. The continuity of the. screw threads is, of course, interrupted at these lateral extensions.

Cooperating with the threaded opening 15 is a correspondingly threaded closing and retaining plug or member 17 of suitable insulating material having a head 18 preferably-of a diameter large enough to cover and completely close the chamber 15 and its extensions .16, when the plug is screwed in place (Figs. 1 and 4) Said plug is perforated axially to. form a passage way for the gripped for screwing the plug 17 into and out of position within the chamber 15.

The usual helical coil of wire 31 surrounds and supports the portion of the conductor cord 32 adjacent to the plug, one end of said coil being embedded in and thereby secured to head 18 of plug 17. p

Each of the terminals housed in the body 10 of the connecter plug consists of a pair of spring blades 20, 21.formed from sheet metal and attached together near one end by means of a pivot stud 25 upon which the blades can be turned relatively to each other; permitting a movement like that of a pair of scissors. A spring member or washer 26 (Fig. 5) around the pivot stud 25, between the head thereof and the blade 20, yieldingly presses the blades 20 and 21 together. The blade 21 is bent over at its short end to form an overhanging extensiom 21a which. overlies the short end of the other blade 20, and prevents a conductor gripped between the blades from being pulled .out by movement .endwise of the blades. The blade 20 may be turned on pivot stud 25 to a positionon the right of blade 21,-as shown in Fig. 6, but blade 20 cannot be turned to the left of blade 21, this.

being prevented by the end edge of the short end of blade 20 binding against the overlying flange 21a. In other words, the angle of the edge across the short end of blade 20 is such that said edge clears the flange in turning the blades to their relative positions shown in Fig. 6, but prevents turning in the reverse direction. lVith the blades opened to the relative position shown in Fig. 6, the bared end of a conductor 19 is led through a notch 22 in flange 21a, across the flat face of blade 21 and through notches 23 and 24 in the side edges of said blades 20 and 21, respectively, as shown in Fig. 6. The right hand end of blade 20 in Fig. 6 is then turned down, bringing the blades into parallelism with the bared end of conductor 19 tightly clamped between the opposing flat faces of the blades 20 and 21, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 5.

lVhen each of the two conductors 19 is attached in this way to its proper terminal, the removable elements of the devicecomprising the closure member or plug 17, conductors 19, and the terminal at the end of each conductor-can be placed in operative position within the plug body 10by simply introducing the terminals into their respective chambers and screwing closure plug 17 into the threaded socket 15, thus confining each terminal between said closure plug 17, at one end, and the shoulder at opposite sides of the opening 14, at its other end. Said'removable elements can be withdrawn as a unit from the body of the connecter plug by the reverse operation of simply unscrewing closure member 17, thereby giving access to the terminals for repairs or replacement. This operation consumes a minimum of time, and moreover (this being a matter of practical importance) it does not require the use of any tool.

Furthermore, when the movable parts have been removed, each terminal can be instantly, and without the aid of any tool, detached from its conductor, by spreading the blades apart to the position shown in Fig. 6.

In the modified construction shown in Fig. 8, heads at both ends of the pivot stud 25, which joins the blades 20 and 21. engage in grooves 27 and 28 and bear against shoulders at the inner ends thereof respectively, said grooves being oppositely positioned in the side walls of chamber 11 and its extension 16. In this manner each line terminal is suspended with its end which is to receive a prong terminal clear of the shoulder at opposite sides of the opening 14.

It will be seen that the complete insulating enclosure wherein the line terminals are housed consists of just two parts. the body 10 and the closure member (the latter comprising plug 17 and its head 18), said two parts being coupled by a screw-thread joint so thatconnection and disconnection can be quickly made without withdrawing any bolts and without the use of a tool. will be seen that the said closure member serves as a carrier for the line terminals, the construction being such as to admit of the insertion and the withdrawalof both terminals simultaneously. 7

lVhile it is preferable to use for the connecter plug a body portion molded or other wise formed as a single piece. said body portion may be made of a plurality of parts se cured together and not required to be separated for insertion and removal of the terminals. In other words, the important thing is that said body portion should function as one piece, having no detachable part other than the closure plug, so that for removal of the terminals there is but a single operation, and that an operation which requires no tool.

lVhat is. claimed as new is:

1. In an electrical connecter a terminal consisting of a pair-of spring blades united by a pivot permitting said blades to move relatively to each other in the manner of scissors blades in clamping a conductor between opposing surfaces thereof.

2. An electrical connecter comprising a one-piece body member of insulating material divided by a partition integral with said body into two parallel terminal housings having each an opening at one end and communicating at the other end with a common chamber in said body member having a screw-threaded opening; a threaded closure plug for engagement with said threaded opening: conductors passing through said plug: and terminals forsaid conductors and positioned in said terminal housings respectively. said conductors and terminals being removable with said plug when the latter is unscrewed.

3. In an electrical connecter, the combination with a conductor of a detachable terminal therefor comprising a pair of blades, a pivot pin connecting said blades while permitting same to move relatively to each other after the manner of a pair of scissors. said parts constituting a releasable clamp for holding a conductor tightly gripped between opposing side surfaces of said blades.

4. A terminal for an electric conductor comprising a pair of'blades pivoted together and capable of opening and closing similarly to a pair of scissors. said blades in their closed position forming between them at one end a socket for insertion of a complementary terminal. and forming between them at the other end a clamp for gripping a wire conductor.

5. A. terminal for an electric conductor comprising a pair of blades pivotedtogether and capable of opening and closing similarly to a pair of scissors. said blades in their closed position forming between them at one end a clamp for gripping a wire conductor Further it between opposing side surfaces of said blades.

- 6. A terminal for an electric conductor comprising a pair of spring metal blades I pivoted together and capable of opening and closing similarly to a pair of scissors, said blades in their closed positiondorming between them an expansible socket for insertion of a complementary terminal, and forming at their other ends a clamp for gripping a wire conductor. a

7. An electrical connecter of the plug type comprising a body member havin a chamber for housing a line terminal an an opening at one end leading into said chamber for insertion of a complementary plug terminal,

said chamber having shoulders in the side walls thereof; and a line terminal consisting of blades pivoted together, the pivot being extended sufficiently at opposite ends to engage said shoulders when said terininal is in place in its chamber.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification.

GALE GOUGH. 

